Police vehicle monitor

• US 10,118,593 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Buttolo, Pietro, Salter, Stuart C., Randlett, Doug H., Hunt, Christopher Charles, Mullen, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US15/184,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45, 701 49, 34042627, 34042628, 340540, 340542, 3405451, 3405457, 3405458
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/016 comprising means for shuttering the windscreen or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/06 operating on the vehicle transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/08 operating on brakes or brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for a police vehicle monitor. An example disclosed police vehicle includes first beacons positioned on a chassis of the police vehicle, second beacons position on a lightbar of the police vehicle, and a police assistance unit. The example police assistance unit is to track a distance of wearable nodes associated with a police officer. Additionally, the example police assistance unit is to, in response to the distance satisfying a first threshold, lock doors and roll up windows of the police vehicle.

Claims

1. A police vehicle comprising:

first beacons positioned on a chassis of the police vehicle;

second beacons positioned on a lightbar of the police vehicle;

a police assistance unit, including a processor, to;

track a distance of wearable nodes associated with a police officer and whether the wearable nodes are inside or outside the vehicle;

detect movement in a front seat of the police vehicle;

in response to the distance satisfying a first threshold, lock doors and roll up windows of the police vehicle; and

,

in response to detecting movement in the front seat of the police vehicle and determining that the wearable nodes are outside the police vehicle, send an alert to the wearable nodes.

2. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein to track the distance of the wearable nodes associated with the police officer, the police assistance unit is to obtain signal strength values between the wearable nodes and at least one of the first beacons or the second beacons.

3. The police vehicle of claim 1, including in response to the distance satisfying a second threshold, unlock one of the doors, the second threshold being closer to the police vehicle than the first threshold.

4. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein the police assistance unit is to:

track whether the wearable nodes associated with the police officer are inside or outside the police vehicle; and

in response to the wearable nodes being outside the police vehicle and a transmission of the police vehicle not being in a park setting;

apply brakes of the police vehicle; and

shift the transmission of the police vehicle into park.

5. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein the police assistance unit is to:

monitor for activity within a detection radius around the police vehicle;

in response to detecting an object entering the detection radius;

when the wearable nodes are outside the vehicle, send an alert to the wearable nodes; and

when the wearable nodes are outside the vehicle, activate an alarm of the police vehicle.

6. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein the police assistance unit is to:

monitor a state of the doors of the police vehicle;

in response to detecting one of the doors opening;

when the distance satisfies the first threshold, activate an alarm of the police vehicle; and

when the distance does not satisfy the first threshold, send an alert to the wearable nodes.

7. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein the police assistance unit is to:

monitor a temperature of a cabin of the police vehicle;

detect movement in the cabin of the police vehicle; and

in response to the temperature satisfying a cabin temperature threshold and detecting movement in the cabin of the vehicle, send an alert to the wearable nodes.

8. The police vehicle of claim 1, wherein the police assistance unit is to:

monitor a temperature of an engine of the police vehicle;

in response to the temperature satisfying a engine temperature threshold, send an alert to the wearable nodes.

9. A method comprising:

receiving signal strength values from wearable nodes associated with a police officer from at least one of first beacons positioned on a chassis of a police vehicle or second beacons positioned on a lightbar of the police vehicle;

tracking, with a processor, a distance of the wearable nodes and whether the wearable nodes are inside or outside the vehicle;

detecting movement in a front seat of the vehicle;

in response to the distance satisfying a first threshold, locking doors and rolling up windows of the vehicle; and

,

in response to detecting movement in the front seat and determining that the wearable nodes are outside the vehicle, sending an alert to the wearable nodes.

10. The method of claim 9, including in response to the distance satisfying a second threshold, unlocking one of the doors, the second threshold being closer to the police vehicle than the first threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, including:

tracking whether the wearable nodes associated with the police officer are inside or outside the police vehicle; and

in response to the wearable nodes being outside the police vehicle and a transmission of the police vehicle not being in a park setting;

applying brakes of the police vehicle; and

shifting the transmission of the police vehicle into park.

12. The method of claim 9, including:

monitoring for activity within a detection radius around the police vehicle;

in response to detecting an object entering the detection radius;

when the wearable nodes are outside the vehicle, sending an alert to the wearable nodes; and

when the wearable nodes are outside the vehicle, activating an alarm of the police vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, including:

monitoring a state of the doors of the police vehicle;

in response to detecting one of the doors opening;

when the distance satisfies the first threshold, activating an alarm of the police vehicle; and

when the distance does not satisfy the first threshold, sending an alert to the wearable nodes.

14. The method of claim 9, including:

monitoring a temperature of a cabin of the police vehicle;

detecting movement in the cabin of the police vehicle; and

in response to the temperature satisfying a cabin temperature threshold and detecting movement in the cabin of the vehicle, sending an alert to the wearable nodes.

15. The method of claim 9, including:

monitoring a temperature of an engine of the police vehicle;

in response to the temperature satisfying a engine temperature threshold, sending an alert to the wearable nodes.